U.S. patent number 6,290,716 [Application Number 09/363,560] was granted by the patent office on 2001-09-18 for convertible thermal blanket.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Augustine Medical, Inc.. Invention is credited to Scott D. Augustine.
United States Patent |
6,290,716 |
Augustine |
September 18, 2001 |
Convertible thermal blanket
Abstract
One or more portions of an inflatable thermal blanket that is
sized sufficiently to fully cover a patient are gathered and
maintained in a non-inflated condition by a closure such that a
thermally-controlled inflating medium admitted into the blanket is
prevented from being admitted into the gathered portion(s), thereby
leaving a primary part of the patient covered and exposing a part
of the patient for medical attention. Thereafter the closure can be
released to permit the inflating medium to be admitted into the
gathered portion such that the gathered portion self-erects and
assumes an inflated condition. The released thermal blanket covers
the entire patient and bathes the patient in the inflating medium.
The closure can be provided as an elongated tape strip with a
central perforation that can be separated.
Inventors: |
Augustine; Scott D.
(Bloomington, MN) |
Assignee: |
Augustine Medical, Inc. (Eden
Prairie, MN)
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Family
ID: |
24777160 |
Appl.
No.: |
09/363,560 |
Filed: |
July 29, 1999 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
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965306 |
Nov 6, 1997 |
5964792 |
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691593 |
Aug 2, 1996 |
5733318 |
|
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|
315960 |
Sep 30, 1994 |
5545194 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
607/104; 5/423;
607/107; 607/108 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61F
7/0097 (20130101); A61F 2007/006 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A61F
7/00 (20060101); A61F 007/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;607/104,107,108,112,114
;5/423 ;219/212 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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0 311 336 |
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Aug 1988 |
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EP |
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716746 |
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Oct 1954 |
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GB |
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1 334 935 |
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Mar 1971 |
|
GB |
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1 461 383 |
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Apr 1973 |
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GB |
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1 532 219 |
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Jun 1975 |
|
GB |
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1 566 207 |
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May 1977 |
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GB |
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WO 85/03216 |
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Aug 1985 |
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WO |
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Other References
Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary definition of "laminate".
.
Webster's Third New International Dictionary, p. 250, definition of
"bond". .
McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science & Technology, 7th Ed., p.
713, definition of "bonding" "Normothermia in The Or" Augustine
Medical, Inc., Oct. 1989. .
Augustine Medical, Inc. v. Gaymar Industries, Inc., 50 USPQ2d 1900
(CAFC 1999)..
|
Primary Examiner: Cohen; Lee
Assistant Examiner: Ram; Jocelyn
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Gray Cary Ware Freidenrich
Parent Case Text
This application is a continuation of Ser. No. 08/965,306 filed
Nov. 6, 1997, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,964,792, which also is a
continuation of Ser. No. 08/691,593 filed Aug. 2, 1996, now U.S.
Pat. No. 5,733,318, which also is a continuation of Ser. No.
08/315,960 filed Sep. 30, 1994, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,545,194.
Claims
I claim:
1. An inflatable covering, comprising:
upper and lower sheets joined together;
an inflation inlet;
apertures opening through the lower sheet;
a gathered inflatable portion; and
a releasable closure engaging the gathered portion.
2. An inflatable covering as defined in claim 1, wherein the
releasable closure includes a release element that releases the
closure and permits the gathered portion to be inflated.
3. An inflatable covering as defined in claim 1, wherein the
releasable closure includes a flap having a top surface and a
bottom surface and an adhesive portion on the bottom surface.
4. An inflatable covering as defined in claim 3, wherein the flap
includes a central perforation such that the central perforation
can be broken.
5. An inflatable covering as defined in claim 1, wherein the
gathered portion includes a substantially rectangular extension,
the rectangular extension having top and bottom surfaces and
communicating with the inflatable covering along an attachment
side.
6. An inflatable covering as defined in claim 1, further including
an uninflatable head end portion with a top edge, and a removable
portion in the head end portion, adjacent the top edge.
7. An inflatable covering as defined in claim 6, the inflatable
covering forming an inflatable thermal blanket.
8. An inflatable covering as defined in claim 7, the inflatable
thermal blanket being self erecting.
9. An inflatable covering as defined in claim 7, the upper and
lower sheets being joined together to form inflatable tubes.
10. An inflatable covering as defined in claim 9 the inflatable
thermal blanket being self-erecting.
11. An apparatus for warming a person, comprising:
an inflatable covering having top and bottom sheets joined
together;
an inflation inlet in the inflatable covering;
apertures in the bottom sheet;
a gathered inflatable portion of the inflatable covering; and
a releasable closure engaging the gathered portion.
12. An apparatus as defined in claim 11 wherein the releasable
closure includes a release element that releases the closure and
permits the gathered portion to be inflated.
13. An apparatus as defined in claim 12, further including
attachment means for releasably attaching the gathered portion to a
body.
14. An apparatus as defined in claim 13, wherein the inflatable
covering is an inflatable thermal blanket.
15. An apparatus as defined in claim 14, wherein the inflatable
thermal blanket is self erecting.
16. A method of covering and warming a first area of a body and
leaving a second area of the body exposed for rendering medical
care to the exposed second area, the method comprising:
providing an inflatable apparatus having a first inflatable
covering portion and a second inflatable covering portion;
placing the apparatus over the body such that the first portion
covers the first area of the body and leaves the second area of the
body exposed;
inflating the first portion of the apparatus;
maintaining the second inflatable covering portion in a furled,
non-inflated condition by a releasable closure that acts between
the first inflatable covering portion and the second inflatable
covering portion; and
releasing the closure such that the second inflatable covering
portion is changed from the furled, non-inflated condition in which
the inflating medium is prevented from entering the portion to an
inflated, unfurled condition in which the inflating medium is
admitted into the portion and the portion covers the second area of
the body.
17. A method as defined in claim 16, wherein releasing includes
opening a closure that includes an elongated strip attached along a
first edge to the first inflatable covering portion and attached
along a second edge to the second inflatable covering portion.
18. A method as defined in claim 17, wherein opening a closure
includes tearing the elongated strip along at least one central
perforation that extends along the length of the elongated
strip.
19. A method as defined in claim 17, wherein opening a closure
includes pulling a tear string embedded in the elongated strip so
as to separate the first longitudinal edge of the elongated strip
from the second longitudinal edge of the elongated strip.
20. A method as defined in claim 17, wherein opening a closure
includes pulling apart a releasably interlocked hook strip from a
loop strip.
21. A method as defined in claim 16, wherein placing includes
attaching an attachment flap that extends outwardly from the first
inflatable covering portion.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to thermal blankets and, more
particularly, to thermal blankets that deliver a bath of a
thermally-controlled medium to a body.
2. Description of the Related Art
It often is necessary to bathe a patient in a thermally-controlled
medium for the purpose of controlling the patient's body
temperature. For example, it is important to keep a patient warm
during surgery and to warm the patient post-operatively to reduce
the risk of hypothermia. Typically, a patient's body temperature is
controlled during surgery by using operating room blankets that
cover the parts of a patient's body not being operated upon.
Multiple blankets are overlaid, or variously shaped blankets having
cut-outs or flaps are used, to cover most of the patient and still
provide access to target surgical sites. After surgery, the patient
is covered with a full-body blanket that covers all of the patient
except for the head. Thus, as much of the patient as possible is
kept covered during surgery to keep the patient warm while
providing access to the operating site and after surgery a full
body blanket keeps the patient warm.
It is known to provide an inflatable covering into which a
thermally-controlled inflating medium is introduced. For warming
purposes, the inflating medium can be warmed air. The thermally
controlled medium also can be cooled air. When such a covering is
inflated, it self-erects about a patient to produce a structure
having a thermally-controlled interior environment. See, for
example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,572,188 and 5,324,320, commonly assigned
with this application and incorporated herein by this
reference.
The prior art inflatable covering is an inflatable blanket that
includes an array of apertures on its underside. The
thermally-controlled medium is exhausted from the apertures into
the erected structure and bathes the patient in the inflating
medium. The temperature of the environment provided by the inflated
blanket is determined by the temperature of the inflating medium.
Thus, relatively uniform and precise control over the ambient
environment of the patient can be achieved. Such thermal blankets
are advantageously used to warm or cool patients before, during,
and after surgery.
To expose an operating site during surgery or otherwise permit
access to part of a patient's body while using an inflatable
thermal blanket, a patient is covered with the blanket and a
blanket area around the site of interest is sealed to provide a
boundary against deflation. The blanket within the sealed area can
be cut out, creating an open space in the blanket for access to the
site of interest, while maintaining the inflatable integrity of the
blanket. The blanket can then be inflated with the
thermally-controlled medium to completely cover the patient except
for the site of interest and thereby control the patient's
temperature during surgery. After surgery, the inflatable blanket
can be removed and replaced with a full-body blanket or a
supplemental blanket can be draped across the exposed site. See,
for example, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/638,748, commonly
assigned with this application and incorporated herein by this
reference.
It would be advantageous if it were not necessary to change
blankets or add blankets between surgery or other medical
procedures and the recovery period. This would permit a single
blanket to be used for each patient, rather than multiple blankets.
A single blanket would make it unnecessary to layer multiple
blankets or to cut or shape blankets to provide surgical access to
parts of a patient's body. The cost of maintaining an inventory of
blankets and the time spent changing or modifying blankets also
could be saved.
From the discussion above, it should be apparent that there is a
need for a thermal blanket that can be used to cover a patient
during surgery or other medical procedures in which it is necessary
to gain access to a portion of the patient's body and that also can
be used after the medical procedure is completed to fully cover the
patient and provide a thermally-controlled environment. The present
invention satisfies this need.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the invention, an inflatable, self-erecting
thermal blanket includes one or more portions that are gathered in
a non-inflated condition and held thereby a closure such that a
thermally-controlled inflating medium that is admitted into the
blanket is prevented from being admitted into the gathered
portion(s), thereby inflating a primary part of the blanket, which
can be used to cover a patient, and leaving a void in the area
covered by the blanket so as to expose an area of the patient's
body for medical treatment. After the medical treatment, the
closure can be released, thereby permitting the inflating medium to
be admitted into the gathered portion such that the gathered
portion inflates and covers the exposed area of the patient's body.
The released thermal blanket then covers the entire patient and
bathes the patient in the inflating medium. In his way, a single
thermal blanket can be used to provide a thermally controlled
environment and expose an area of a patient during treatment and
also can be converted to fully cover the patient after
treatment.
In one aspect of the invention, the gathered portion of the thermal
blanket is created by rolling or folding an extension of the
blanket onto itself and is maintained in the gathered condition
adjacent the primary portion of he blanket by a closure comprising
an elongated strip of tape that bridges both the gathered portion
and the primary portion. The strip is provided with a release
element that permits the gathered portion of the strip to be
separated from the primary portion of the strip. When a patient is
to be filly covered, the release element releases the gathered
portion, which is then inflated by the inflating medium and covers
a previously exposed area of the patient.
The closure and the release element can be provided by a variety of
structures. For example, in one aspect of the invention, the
closure comprises a strip that includes two longitudinal edges, one
of which is attached to the gathered portion and the other of which
is attached to the primary portion of the thermal blanket. The
strip can include a central perforation that can be split open such
that the gathered portion edge of the strip can be separated from
the primary portion edge of the strip, releasing the gathered
portion of the thermal blanket and permitting it to be unfurled and
inflated. Alternatively, the release element can comprise a tear
string embedded in a strip that bridges the gathered portion and
primary portion. When the patient is to be fully covered, the tear
string can be pulled out of the strip to separate the two edges of
the strip and release the gathered portion. In another aspect of
the invention, the release element can comprise a releasable hook
and loop system having a hook strip attached to either the gathered
portion or the primary portion and a loop strip attached to the
other portion. The hook strip can be easily separated from the loop
strip. A variety of other closures and release elements will occur
to those skilled in the art.
Other features and advantages of the present invention should be
apparent from the following description of the preferred
embodiments, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of
the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a view of an inflatable thermal blanket constructed in
accordance with the present invention to initially cover a
patient's lower body, having a gathered portion of the blanket in a
non-inflated condition to permit access to the patient's upper body
during medical treatment.
FIG. 2 is a view of the blanket illustrated in FIG. 1 after the
gathered portion has been released and the patient fully
covered.
FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 are views illustrating construction details of
the blanket illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2.
FIG. 5 is an exploded view of the blanket illustrated in FIG. 1
showing the closure before attachment to the blanket.
FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 are views of an inflatable thermal blanket
constructed in accordance with the present invention to provide
access to a patient's lower body during medical treatment.
FIG. 8 and FIG. 9 are views of another inflatable thermal blanket
constructed in accordance with the present invention to provide
access to a patient's lower body during medical treatment.
FIG. 10, FIG. 11, and FIG. 12 are views of a third inflatable
thermal blanket constructed in accordance with the present
invention to provide access to a patient's lower body during
medical treatment.
FIG. 13 and FIG. 14 are views of an inflatable thermal blanket
constructed in accordance with the present invention to provide
access to a patient's upper body during medical treatment.
FIG. 15 and FIG. 16 are views of an inflatable thermal blanket
constructed in accordance with the present invention having
alternative closures to those illustrated in FIGS. 1-14.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
FIG. 1 shows an inflatable thermal blanket 10 constructed in
accordance with the present invention. As shown, the blanket
provides access to the upper body of a patient 12 during medical
treatment and includes a lower end 14 that is placed near the feet
of the patient and an upper end rolled onto itself to form a
gathered portion 16 and a primary portion 17. Thus, the torso of
the patient 12 is not covered by the blanket in the gathered
condition. An inlet port 18 of the blanket is connected by a hose
19 to a heater/blower assembly 20 that produces a thermally
controlled inflating medium, such as heat and air. When the blanket
10 is inflated with the heater/blower assembly, the blanket erects
itself into a structure having a quilted upper surface 22. Medical
treatment can then be provided to the exposed torso of the patient
while the remainder of the patient's body is kept warm by the
blanket. A closure 24 maintains the gathered portion 16 in a
non-inflated condition. After the medical treatment has been
completed, the closure is opened so as to release the gathered
portion, permitting the inflating medium to enter the gathered
portion, inflating it so that it assumes the configuration
illustrated in FIG. 2. In this way, the same blanket can be used to
keep an area of the patient's body warm during medical treatment
and then can be converted into a full body covering after
completion of treatment.
FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 illustrate some of the construction details of
the thermal blanket 10. A lower sheet 49 of the blanket is formed
by bonding a layer 50 of flexible material to a layer 52 of
heat-sealable plastic. In the preferred embodiment, the layers 50
and 52 respectively comprise a layer of non-woven polyester
pre-laminated with a layer of heat sealable plastic such as a
polypropylene extrusion. An upper layer 53 of the thermal blanket
consists of a layer of extruded polypropylene film bonded to the
plastic underside layer 52 by a heat-sealing process to form
interrupted seams, one of which is indicated by the arrow 54, and
inflatable tubes, one of which is indicated by the arrow 55. As can
be seen in FIG. 4, the seam 54 forms a passageway 56 between two
adjacent tubes 55 and 57.
The thermal blanket 10 bathes a patient in the thermally controlled
inflating medium by means of a plurality of apertures 62
illustrated in FIG. 4. The apertures extend through the blanket
underside, which includes the layers 50 and 52. The apertures 62
are provided in a pattern determined to produce a uniform flow of
the inflating medium from the underside of the blanket. For
example, the apertures are provided in a density that varies
inversely with the distance of the aperture to the center tube
having the inlet port 18. Thus, the ambient temperature beneath the
inflated blanket is substantially uniform from edge to edge.
FIG. 5 illustrates the manner of attaching the closure 24 to the
blanket in the gathered position. As illustrated in FIG. 5, the
closure comprises an elongated strip having a first edge 26 that is
attached to the primary portion 17 of the thermal blanket and a
second edge 28 attached to the gathered portion 16 of the blanket.
In FIG. 5, the closure 24 is shown in phantom, and therefore a
strip of adhesive backing 30 applied along the underside of the
first edge is indicated by shading, as is another strip of adhesive
backing 32 applied along the underside of the second edge. Thus,
the elongated strip of the closure 24 bridges the primary portion
17 and the gathered portion 16, thereby holding the gathered
portion 16 in the rolled, non-inflated condition. In this way, when
the inflating medium is admitted into the thermal blanket to
inflate the primary portion 17 through the inlet 18, the gathered
portion does not inflate.
FIG. 5 also shows that a central tear strip 34 is defined between
the first edge 26 and second edge 28 of the closure 24 by two
parallel perforations 36, 38 that extend along the length of the
closure strip. It should be apparent that one end 40 of the tear
strip can be grasped and pulled, tearing the perforations apart,
thereby releasing the first edge from the second edge, permitting
the gathered portion to be unfurled, and permitting the inflating
medium to be admitted into the gathered portion to inflate the
blanket and assume the condition illustrated in FIG. 2.
The FIG. 5 embodiment shows that the closure 24 also can include an
attachment flap 70 that extends outwardly from the second edge 28
of the closure. A free edge 72 of the attachment flap is provided
with a strip of adhesive 74 on its underside along its length. The
adhesive is used to attach the flap to the patient's body, thereby
holding the gathered portion 16 in a fixed relative location.
Holding the gathered portion fixed assists the attending medical
personnel in maintaining the thermal blanket 10 in a desired
location while medical treatment is provided. The attachment flap
70 preferably also includes a perforation 76 that can be torn,
thereby releasing the closure 24 (and also the gathered portion 16)
from the attachment flap. Thus, the attachment flap can be released
independently of, or along with, the elongated strip of the closure
24.
A thermal blanket in accordance with the present invention can be
provided in a variety of configurations in addition to that
illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. For example, FIG. 6 and FIG. 7
illustrate a thermal blanket 100 that provides access to the lower
extremities of the patient 12 while covering the torso of the
patient during treatment. In FIG. 6 and the remaining drawings, the
heater/blower assembly 20 and connected hose 19 are not shown for
clarity of illustration, but it should be understood that these
elements are included in any actual usage of the thermal blanket.
FIG. 6 illustrates the blanket 100 in the gathered condition and
FIG. 7 illustrates the blanket in the fully deployed condition.
Again, a gathered portion 116 and a primary portion 117 are
provided by rolling one end of the thermal blanket onto itself
while in a non-inflated condition and maintaining it in the
non-inflated condition with a closure 124. As before, an attachment
flap 170 can be provided, if desired, with an adhesive strip
backing 174 for attaching the gathered portion to the body of the
patient. When deployed, the unfurled gathered portion ends in a
lower edge 180 at the feet of the patient 12. The primary edge 126
of the released closure remains attached to the surface 122 of the
blanket, as illustrated in FIG. 7.
FIGS. 8 and 9 illustrate an alternative embodiment of a blanket 200
for providing access to the lower extremities of the patient. FIG.
8 shows that the blanket can be draped over a patient so that the
longest dimension of the blanket extends across the body of the
patient from arm to arm. Two gathered portions 210, 212 define a
central area 214 of the blanket, which covers the torso of the
patient and bridges a blanket lower end 216 and a blanket upper end
218. The lower end and upper end are each provided with an inlet
port 18 but communicate internally so that both ends are
simultaneously inflated even if only one port is connected to an
inflating medium. An optional head drape 220 can be provided to
maintain the temperature of the patient's head. The blanket 200
also includes, in its upper end 218, a removeable section 219
defined by a U-shaped perforation 221. The removeable section 219
can be removed by tearing along the perforation 221 to leave a
U-shaped indentation in the upper end edge 223. The indentation is
indicated at 224 in FIG. 9. FIG. 9 shows the blanket 200 after
medical care has been provided and the gathered portions have been
released. As can be seen in FIG. 9, after the gathered portions are
released, the blanket 200 is preferably rotated so that the longest
dimension of the blanket is oriented over the length of the
patient's body with the patient's head received in the U-shaped
indentation 224. Thus, complete coverage of the patient is
obtained.
FIGS. 10-12 illustrate an embodiment 300 of the thermal blanket in
which access is provided to the lower extremities of the patient 12
in general, and to the legs of the patient in particular. FIG. 10
shows that the thermal blanket has an overall shape that includes a
primary portion having a relatively large, generally rectangular
upper body portion 310 placed over the upper body of the patient 12
and a relatively narrow, elongated central lower body extension 312
having a width substantially less than the width of the upper body
portion. In the preferred embodiment of FIGS. 10-12, the lower body
extension 312 comprises a single inflatable tube of the type
illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4 that is used to cover at least one
elongated member of the patient, such as a leg. Whereas the upper
body portion comprises a plurality of inflatable tubes that are
arranged transversely of the upper end of the lower body extension
and are used to cover the chest area of the patient. The elongated
central extension 312 and the transverse upperbody tubes 310
communicate internally so that a single inlet port 18 permits them
to be simultaneously inflated.
FIG. 10 also shows that the lower end of the elongated lower body
extension 312 is flanked by two gathered portions 314, 316. Each
gathered portion includes an attachment flap 322 with an adhesive
backing along its underside, as described previously for the other
embodiments. Other attachment flaps can be provided at other
blanket portions as desired, such as the attachment flaps 324 for
securing edges of the upper body portion 310 to the patient 12. A
head drape 326 also can be provided. FIG. 11 shows a first one 314
of the gathered portions in its deployed condition, while FIG. 12
shows the thermal blanket with both gathered portions in their
respective deployed conditions, wherein full coverage of the
patient is provided.
More particularly, FIG. 10 shows both of the gathered portions 314,
316 in their non-inflated condition and shows that they are coupled
to the central extension 312 of the blanket 300 along the length of
the central extension, on opposite sides. Each gathered portion
314, 316 has a closure 315, 317, respectively, that maintains the
gathered portions in their non-inflated condition. FIG. 11 shows
the blanket 300 after the closure 315 of the first gathered portion
314 has been opened, or removed, thereby permitting the inflating
medium to enter the first gathered portion and inflate the first
gathered portion so that it deploys transversely of the central
extension 312. In FIG. 11, the closure 317 of the remaining second
gathered portion 316 has not been removed and therefore that
gathered portion remains in the non-inflated condition. FIG. 12
shows the blanket 300 after the closure 317 of the second gathered
portion 316 also has been opened and after the second gathered
portion has been inflated and deployed transversely of the central
extension.
FIGS. 13 and 14 illustrate a blanket 400 similar to that shown in
FIGS. 10-12, except that the blanket 400 leaves the arms of the
patient 12 exposed and covers the lower extremities of the patient.
Thus, the lower end 412 of the blanket covers the patient's lower
extremities and the upper end 414 includes the gathered portions.
Again, the primary portion of the blanket includes a relatively
large portion 416 and a central extension 418 that is flanked by
two gathered portions 420, 422. The gathered portions, typically
are deployed after medical care has been provided (FIG. 14) and it
is desired to obtain full coverage of the patient. Lateral drapes
424 can be provided for supplemental coverage, if desired.
The closure 24 of a thermal blanket constructed in accordance with
the present invention can assume a variety of structures in
addition to the pull strip described above. In FIG. 15, the closure
comprises a tear string 510 that is embedded in the elongated strip
524 of the closure. Once again, the elongated closure strip
includes a first edge 526 attached to the primary portion 14 of the
blanket 10 and a second edge 528 attached to the gathered portion
16. The tear string includes an enlarged release tab 512 that can
be grasped and pulled, tearing the string out from the elongated
strip and thereby separating the edge of the elongated strip
attached to the primary portion of the blanket from the edge of the
elongated strip attached to the gathered portion. As before, an
optional attachment flap 70 can be provided, having a free end 72
with an adhesive backing 74 applied to the underside and having a
central perforation 76 for easy removal.
FIG. 16 shows a closure 24 comprising a hook and loop fastening
system 610, such as commonly sold, for example, under the trademark
"VELCRO." The hook and loop fastening system includes a hook strip
612 having loops or coils 613 of a plastic material and a loop
strip 614 having a loose, or fuzzy, pile of material. The hook
strip can be engaged with the loop strip and then released by
forcibly pulling them apart. Although relatively modest forces will
not separate the two strips, more deliberate pulling actions can be
used to easily separate the hook strip from the loop strip. When
engaged, the hook and loop fastening system provides a unitary
strip that can be attached to the thermal blanket so as to maintain
the gathered portion in the non-inflated condition.
In FIG. 16, the looped plastic material is attached to the
underside of a first edge 616 of the hook strap, which then is
attached to the gathered portion 16 along a second edge 618.
Preferably, the attachment is by an adhesive backing. The loop
strip 614 is attached to the primary portion 14 of the thermal
blanket. It should be noted that the hook strip and loop strip can
be mounted on the opposite blanket portions. To hold the gathered
portion 16 in the non-inflated condition, the bottom of the first
edge 616 is pressed into engagement with the loop strip 614. When
it is desired to unfurl the gathered portion, the hook and loop
fastening system is simply separated by pulling on the two
respective strips in opposite directions. This releases the hook
strip from the loop strip and permits the gathered portion to be
unfurled, admitting the inflating medium into the gathered portion.
As before, an attachment flap 70 can be included with the closure
610.
Thus, all of the embodiments described above provide an inflatable
thermal blanket that can be used to permit access to a site of
interest while controlling a patient's body temperature during
surgery and then can be converted to a full-body covering that
completely covers the patient.
The present invention has been described above in terms of
presently preferred embodiments so that an understanding of the
present invention can be conveyed. There are, however, many
configurations for inflatable thermal blankets not specifically
described herein but with which the present invention is
applicable. For example, the closure can be provided by a light
tackiness adhesive backing. The present invention should therefore
not be seen as limited to the particular embodiments described
herein, but rather, it should be understood that the present
invention has wide applicability with respect to inflatable thermal
blankets generally. All modifications, variations, or equivalent
arrangements that are within the scope of the attached claims
should therefore be considered to be within the scope of the
invention.
* * * * *